CA EMIGRANT GAP JANE DOE: WF, 25-35, found near I-80 in snowbank in Emigrant Gap, CA - 17 Dec 1977 *MELINDA "PIP" BEARDSLEY*

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640UFCA - Unidentified Female​

Reconstructions of the victim.

Date of Discovery: December 17, 1977
Location of Discovery: Emigrant Gap, Placer County, California
Estimated Date of Death: 2 - 6 days
State of Remains: Recognizable face
Cause of Death: Homicide by strangulation

Physical Description​

Estimated Age: 25-35 years old
Race: White
Sex: Female
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 145 lbs.
Hair: Dark brown, about 5" long.
Eye Color: Brown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Her toenails were painted with orange nail polish and trimmed nearly to the base. Stretch marks on abdomen and breasts. She showed evidence of recent weight loss, possibly due to recent childbirth.

Identifiers​

Dentals: Available.
Fingerprints: Available.
DNA: Available.

Clothing & Personal Items​

Clothing: None.
Jewelry: None.
Additional Personal Items: None.

Circumstances of Discovery​

The victim was located in a snowbank by a couple walking their dog near the Highway 20-Interstate 80 interchange, east of Emigrant Gap. Finger marks on the neck indicated she had been strangled.

Investigating Agency(s)​

Agency Name: Placer County Sheriff-Coroner
Agency Contact Person: Dennis Watt
Agency Phone Number: 530-889-7878 or 530-889-7800
Agency E-Mail: dwatt(at)placer.ca.gov
Agency Case Number: 11929-77

NCIC Case Number: Unknown
NamUs Case Number: 6296

Information Source(s)​

NamUs
The Auburn Journal
The Daily Review

640UFCA

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

 

[Kimster]

 

[Kimster]

I’d love to have more information about Pip. What was she doing in California ? What part of Nevada did she live in? Did she have a job? Do they have any idea who she was with when she went missing?

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Here is a little bit more.

Client Challenge

Census records show Beardsley was the youngest of six children born to a stay-at-home mother and salesman father in Oakland County, Michigan. “Melinda was always on the move, an energetic little girl with a dimpled smile and a great sense of humor,” Jill Beardsley, her older sister, said in a press release.

When Melinda was 17, marriage license records from 1964 show she married a 23-year-old man in Los Angeles County. The marriage didn’t last long; by 1969, he was remarried. Beardsley had a child, but investigators have not disclosed who the father was or when she had her baby.

In 1977, Beardsley, then 30, was working as a server in Carson City. The last known record of her is a sad one: In 1976, the Reno Gazette-Journal recorded her arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence.

But the clue did point Moxxy’s researchers in the direction of the Reno area. They officially reported Beardsley missing to the Reno Police Department, “allowing investigators to move forward with additional investigative steps and DNA comparison,” the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said. Last month, the DNA sample for Emigrant Gap Jane Doe was officially matched to one of Beardsley’s living relatives.

 

[Kimster]

I used to frequent Carson City back in the late 70s. Makes me wonder if she served us in one of the restaurants there? We especially loved eating at the Ormsby House.

 

[Mel70]

Here is a little bit more.

Client Challenge

Census records show Beardsley was the youngest of six children born to a stay-at-home mother and salesman father in Oakland County, Michigan. “Melinda was always on the move, an energetic little girl with a dimpled smile and a great sense of humor,” Jill Beardsley, her older sister, said in a press release.

When Melinda was 17, marriage license records from 1964 show she married a 23-year-old man in Los Angeles County. The marriage didn’t last long; by 1969, he was remarried. Beardsley had a child, but investigators have not disclosed who the father was or when she had her baby.

In 1977, Beardsley, then 30, was working as a server in Carson City. The last known record of her is a sad one: In 1976, the Reno Gazette-Journal recorded her arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence.

But the clue did point Moxxy’s researchers in the direction of the Reno area. They officially reported Beardsley missing to the Reno Police Department, “allowing investigators to move forward with additional investigative steps and DNA comparison,” the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said. Last month, the DNA sample for Emigrant Gap Jane Doe was officially matched to one of Beardsley’s living relatives.

Rest in peace Pip. I hope they find who did that to you.